Flight
by Recto-Bella
Summary: OneShot. PostHBP. It was time to heal, to forget about the past. Harry and Snape, not slash


Title: Flight

Author: Recto-Bella

Summary: OneShot. Post-HBP. It was time to heal, to forget about the past.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Oo

For as long as he remembered, Severus always carried great weight on his midriff which did not attribute to the food he ate. In fact, as Severus thought about it day and night, it was not even a physical weight. It was guilt and self-hatred. Severus didn't know why he hated himself so much.

The only way to escape the one dread emotion was to overstress physically. So he wandered where his body carried him, until he couldn't move any further. Today, he stopped at the edge of a forest, looking out at a grandiose castle and its ground. Severus raised his eyebrows.

"I'm only taking a walk, Poppy," said a voice just outside castle. "No, you can't put me to bed everyday. I need fresh air. Be back shortly."

Severus, hiding from behind the bushes, watched with curiosity. The man talking was still very young, but his head was shiny and bald. He relied heavily on his walking stick as he limped across the ground. Severus didn't know what to make of it. Something told him it wasn't normal for young man to limp, or have bald hair. He should be flying with a mop of unkempt hair. He wasn't sure where that image came from.

The bald, limping young man edged towards him. Severus retreated back instinctively. But Harry merely stopped at the white tomb just ahead of Severus. He stood gazing as it for a moment, thinking, reflecting. The summer's breeze went pass, and his hospital gown flew ever so gently with the wind.

War left traces; they were especially hard to erase on the soul of humans. Harry was one of the few who managed to escape Death's tea party, but he did not come out unscratched. Voldemort had done Harry great injury before he was destroyed. The permanent bald hair was one of Voldemort's more desperate (and therefore harmless) attempts. Madam Pomfrey could not reverse the spell, but that was small loss.

The mid-afternoon sunlight cast short shadows across the ground. Inside the deep green trees of the Forbidden Forest, a few magical birds chirped lightly. Everything else was relatively peaceful. Harry moved his head slightly, and the sunlight bounced right into Severus's eyes from the young man's bald head. Severus started violently. He ran from his hiding position deeper into the forest, making as much noise as he had ever done.

Harry looked up at the sound in the forest. At first, he only took it as forest beast. But when he saw a distinct black form settling inside the bushes, he opened eyes wide. Taking out a piece of parchment from his pocket, Harry examined it carefully before putting it away, chuckling. Then as if nothing disturbed him, he squatted down and slowly touched the white tomb.

Severus didn't go far. He hid deeper into the forest, but had his eyes out for inspection. The young man intrigued him.

"Good-bye, Professor Dumbledore," Severus heard him say. Harry stood up again and walked away without looking back. He was carrying something under his arm Severus failed to notice before.

Harry walked into the clearing, and threw the thing into the air. It was a kite. But the breeze was not strong enough to bear its flight. Harry tried many times, running at a controlled pace with his injured legs. But just as many times, it dropped back down, hitting right on his shiny head.

Harry laughed joyously. Inside the forest, Snape smiled as well.

"Are you watching this, Snape?" Harry shouted, as he temporarily gave up the kite and turned towards the forest.

It took a moment for Severus to realize that the young man was talking to him. Unconsciously, he had moved out of his hiding place and was currently standing on the white tomb. Harry beckoned to him. And Snape complied.

"Minerva set the afternoon to strong wind," Harry told Snape as he edged nearer. "I know you'd say I'm receiving special treatment again, if you still can."

Severus couldn't understand his language, but he searched for Harry's expression for accusation. There was none. Snape relaxed.

"It's been ten years," said Harry again. "And things that happened… they always came back to me, day and night. They were restless, and they made me restless too. I've been tortured by my own memory."

Snape thought that Harry's voice had suddenly gone intense. He didn't like it.

"But I've come up with a way to let them go now, all the hatred, guilty, grief," continued Harry, his voice softened a bit. "A new generation comes. We shouldn't greet them with the terrors of war. We should leave the past all behind, let it fly away with the kite."

The wind picked up its speed, sweeping dusts into the air. Harry and Severus both turned to welcome the invisible force.

"Well, there we go," said Harry. "Do you want to help out? Only I can't run too fast."

Snape took the kite and flew it behind him. Harry maneuvered the string at the trail. After several swerve (during which Harry 'oh'ed and 'ah'ed), the kite was finally high in the air. Snape landed back on the ground beside Harry.

"Thank," said Harry after awhile. "You know you are up there too? And a big chunk of it too. I loathed you until I was too tired to- and then comes the news that you are acting on Dumbledore's orders. I can never forgive you for that, no matter the reason, though. Some wounds are too deep to heal. You used to know that too."

Harry sounded bitter and sad. Severus immediately sulked as well.

"But on a brighter note," said Harry. "Even if I cannot forgive, I am prepared to forget it. Not a very good resort, but you know me… So, I'm ready to let it all go and live in the present.

Anyhow, I can't hold a grudge against you after what Voldemort's done to you. But you are much happier being a bird, aren't you, despite being a black crow?"

Harry fumbled in his pocket and took out a knife. Severus flapped his wings and retreated a few steps in caution, but Harry merely cut loose the string. The kite flew higher and higher, until it was too far away.

"Oh dear God," said Harry. "I hope it won't drop back down. I'm not keen to have it land on my head, what with my hair gone and all."

He laughed. Severus observed Harry's happy face and kind eyes, listening to his laugher that has becoming richer every second. He chirped after him as well.

"Well," said Harry, reaching out to stroke Severus lightly on the head. "Fly if you want to then, but you can always come back. Minerva and I are looking for a spell to get you back, and your memories too. So enjoy your bird time while you can."

Severus felt light as plastic bags catching the wind. He felt, for the first time in many years, that he was free from guilt and self-hatred. Perhaps it was the young man's soothing tone, or perhaps it was this very ground that sang of kindness to him. Severus flapped his wings again, and soared towards the blue sky decorated with sparse patches of clouds. Harry waved after him, chuckling in a way that filled Severus with endless energy.

He beat his wings more vigorously, and glided into the clouds.

The End

Oo

AN: Here I was, trying to continue my other story… and I come up with this instead… In my first draft, Snape has intact memory; in my second draft, I disabled his memories; in my third draft, I changed him into a bird _without_ human memory. I am pleasantly surprised, since I've always wanted to write an animal!Harry fic, but hey, a bird Snape isn't too bad, right?

Hope you enjoyed that. Feedback welcome.

Recto-Bella


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